Shiffrin looks to build on positive Solden showing

The 19-year-old won the FIS World Cup slalom title by 150 points last year and came close to ensuring the first giant slalom victory of her career in Solden last time out.

Ultimately she was forced to share first place with Austrian Anna Fenninger although the performance was promising as Shiffrin now seems capable of challenging for wins in both disciplines.

Shiffrin won in Levi last year and she believes her performance in Solden served as an ideal start to her campaign.

However, she also sought to cool expectations of challenging for the overall title - currently held by Fenninger.

"It's a pretty good start. I can't really wish for better," she said of her tied win last time out.

"Maybe I'll try to get on the top step on my own next time.

"It's a great step - everybody is like, 'So you won, you're going to get the overall this season.' And I'm like, 'We'll see' but it's a perfect start to the season."

Fenninger will likely provide a stern challenge once again for the likes of Shiffrin, although the defending champion has never won at Levi.

Her fellow Austrians Eva-Maria Brem and Kathrin Zettel enjoyed strong positions in the grand slalom and will hope to threaten again although Andrea Dettling's absence will continue as she was forced to undergo further shin surgery earlier this month.

In terms of the conditions at Levi, chief of race Petri Tuomikoski revealed recently that many teams have opted to arrive early for the competition due to the excellent state of the runs.

"Snowmaking and other operations has been made in record time and some even ahead of time," he explained.

"Cold times after mid October allowed good conditions for snowmaking and the staff have done great work. In addition the last investments in our snowmaking system has been shown.

"The teams have advanced their arrivals so our goal is to open the training area at the Frontslope as soon as possible, at the latest by the weekend."